De Los Santos Byredo 2022

I have to defend "De Los Santos" now. Yes, the fragrance is not straightforward and will not appeal to everyone. It starts strong with aromatic sage followed by cistus and orris root. For me, there is also incense in it, even though it is not listed. I only catch a brief whiff of mirabelle at the beginning. The heart of this fragrance is aromatic and somehow exotic in the sense of being unusual and fascinating. The Ambroxan makes the scent slightly sweet in the drydown.

The longevity is superb for a Byredo. After 8 hours, it is still quite noticeable, and even the sage from the top note is still recognizable (apparently not a pure top note). The sillage is strong for 2-3 hours and then slowly becomes a bit more intimate.

What I appreciate about DLS is that it really smells extraordinary. It piques curiosity. One wonders who might smell like this. At the same time, it is very calming and aromatic, so for my nose, it stands out but is not unpleasant. If I’m already spending a lot of money on niche fragrances, I want to wear something that not every designer has already offered in a similar way for a quarter of the price.

So my conclusion: De Los Santos is a very successful, special creation without the typical Byredo H/S weaknesses. It certainly doesn’t suit everyone, but that’s exactly what makes it so good. Thanks for coming to my TED talk. ;-)